Episode 101
by KiKiLoVedOnO
Summary: Helga is up to her old ways, but changes are heading her way as her, Arnold, and the rest of their friends graduate from the fourth grade! Of course it's a love story between Helga and Arnold! Enjoy the twists and thanks for reading ;
1. Ch 1 Ohayougozaimasu

NOTE: I HAVE COME TO DESPISE THIS CHAPTER. THE ONLY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THIS CHAPTER IS THAT IT IS FRIDAY, AND THERE ARE FOUR DAYS OF SCHOOL LEFT AFTER THAT FRIDAY. SERIOUSLY, THIS CHAPTER DOESN'T FIT THE MOOD OF THE REST OF THE STORY. NO HARD FEELINGS FOR SKIPPING IT AND GOING TO CHAPTER 2. :D

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><p>Hey Arnold Fanfic<p>

"Episode 101"

Chapter 1~~ Ohayougozaimasu

Summer heat set in as the exhaust cleared. Glinting from the rear bumper, a "How's my driving?" sticker lifted at the corner as the city bus pulled away. The final remnants of glue let loose as a breeze caught and flopped the sticker on the ground inches in front of me. Reaching down, I plucked it up with my left hand, careful not to jostle the books cradled in my right. Especially not my math book; never could I drop that book.

"Ohayougozaimasu, Helga," Phoebe bounded up happily as usual, no doubt excited for the school day to begin.

"Hey Pheebs, how's it hangin'?"

"I'm doing fine, though I'm a bit disappointed that it's Friday already."

I thought so. Doesn't she have a life outside of school?

"Whatever. I just can't wait until summer break is finally here."

"Don't remind me. I can't believe we only have four days left! To think that today would have been our last day. . . thank goodness for the teacher's strike giving us four more days."

The teacher's strike—my love the hero, a knight dressed in shining armor corralling the students of what was at the time Ms. Slovak's fourth grade class into a rebellious counterstrike against Principal Wartz excessive budget cuts. Ohhh, my love.

"Ummm Helga. . . Helga!"

Even shattering glass has less of a shrill tone than Phoebe's voice when she's trying to get your attention.

"Crimony Phoebe! Can't I have a minute to think?"

"But Helga. . ."

"What!"

"You were talking to yourself. . . you were talking about, _you know_. . . ice cream."

A glance from one side to the other calmed my nerves a bit. At least no one was within earshot. If he, or anybody, ever finds out about _that_, I'd have to jump town! An exhale of air and I'm recovered for now.

"Walk with me, Pheebs."

"Actually Helga, I had been hoping to review for our geography quiz with Gerald. Aren't you meeting with your geography buddy?"

She didn't give me a chance to answer before walking off. I guess I should meet up with Sheena, but granola girl can handle herself; I've got bigger fish to fry. Halfway up the stairs to P.S. 118 I spot my golden-haired sun god speaking to that wretch Lila, no doubt impressed by one of her mindless stories.

"Whatever do you call a cow that's laying on a barn floor?"

"I don't know, Lila. What?"

"Ground beef."

And there he goes laughing at that vixen's jokes.

"Wow Lila. You're so clever."

And there he goes jabbing me in the heart. Well not today, bucko. Walking right up to them, I slap the bumper sticker on his back. "Hey Arnoldo, some of us are trying to walk here. You mind?" He _was_ blocking the door. Can you blame me?

And then it happened. He looked at me. His green jellybean eyes caught the morning sun, sparking like the North Star guiding me home. No, that's not right. I was already home the second he looked my way. Well, glared really. He's so cute when he's frustrated. He just doesn't get it, does he?

Wait a minute, how long have I been staring at the football head? Why is he still staring at me? There, yes! He sighed, a sure sign of defeat. Now he's just waiting, I guess for me to break the silence. Crap, what do I say? Nothing. I've got nothing. He's staring, and I've got nothing! Why do I get myself into these predicaments?

"Would you look at the time," Lila said as though in complete shock. "I'm ever so certain that I must be getting to my locker."

Great. Now I owe Lila of all people.

"Wait, Lila. Let me walk you. Want me to carry your books?" I watched them disappear through the double doors without so much as a side-glance.

"Arnold. What a boob. What a half-brained, goody-two-shoes. . . and yet. . ." I looked quickly over my shoulder before diving behind a trash can and revealing my locket. "I love him. Arnold my love, I'm the one, so why don't you see it? Lila did. Phoebe did. Fat Patty and even Brainy did. But you. . . you the most sacred of all beings is a mindless little twerp. If only you could see through my blustery exterior into my soft, mushy, good-hearted center. Then you would carry my books and laugh at my half-witted jokes."

"Huuuuheeeehuuuuheeee." That sound. That deep-throated gurgling noise that always pops up behind me when I least want to hear it. Interrupting my most precious of moments where I proclaim my love for the boy I so desire. _That sound_. My fist rocketed backward into Brainy's nose, the satisfying crunch of his glasses an added bonus. He slunk into the depths of the trash can while I replaced my locket to its rightful place next to my heart.

"That's it. I'm going to start being nicer to him. That'll get his attention for sure!"

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><p>KiKiLoVedOnO here. What did you think of chapter 1? I had fun writing it, for sure. It was weird trying to get inside of Helga's head, but I think I got pretty close. Plenty of references to the show for hardcore fans out there.<p>

Chapter 2 coming soon :)

Reviews and criticisms are both welcome and appreciated :D


	2. Ch 2 Mr Simmons' Surprise

Hey Arnold Fanfic

"Episode 101"

Chapter 2~~ Mr. Simmons' Surprise

When I got into class this morning, well, let's just say Simmons was acting like more of a fruitcake than usual. He walks in wearing his signature green vest over a button down, so nothing out of the ordinary there. What was strange wasn't something missing. In fact, I would say today was just any other day. That was until twenty or so odd people filed into the classroom after him.

"Alright boys and girls, I have a special surprise for you!"

And that's how it started. Actually, that's how Mr. Simmons starts class _every_ day—telling us all about some _special_ something he has in store for us. You would think today's surprise would be ignored like all the other ones, but no. Something about a bunch of strangers all carrying shovels and pick axes really gets a class riled up. Or maybe it was Harold screaming "We're all gonna die!" at the top of his lungs. I'll leave it up to you to decide.

Anyway after pig boy calmed down and stopped screaming for his mommy, Simmons finally decided to reveal his surprise. Turns out Miss Slovak, our teacher before Simmons, buried a time capsule with her fourth grade class back in '67 to commemorate her first year teaching at P.S. 118. After thirty years, that class has returned to unearth their artifacts. So. . . why am I telling you all this? Well that's simple—

"Heads up, Helga!"

"Crimony! Watch where you're flinging that!" Yeah, you guessed it. _We_ got drafted to help dig up the capsule—talk about a pain. Now I'm covered in dirt because that football head keeps tossing shovelfuls in my direction.

"Heads up!"

"Okay that's—" I stopped mid-sentence. Old betsy and the five avengers were about to get a warm-up session they would never forget—but I froze. And why did I suddenly turn to mush? Because he winked at me, that crooked smile of his showing under his gently blushing cheeks. He's so frustrating! I know we said that kiss was just the heat of the moment, so why does he have to tease me like this?

"AHH!"

Oh god, that shriek sounds like that prissy, pain in the neck, Rhonda.

"Watch where you're throwing your dirt!"

I was right; it was her! I couldn't help chuckling to myself—I must admit laughing was probably my first mistake.

"Mind telling me what you think is so funny?"

Now my face was blank and, to be honest, only one word ran through my head at that moment: crap! I decided it was time to act stupid—this was my second mistake in case you were wondering.

"What's wrong, Rhonda?" I really tried to be sincere.

"Don't play stupid, Helga."

Okay, it's official: I suck at acting stupid.

"Oh my god, you did it again!"

Now there was no pretending or acting stupid this time. I really had no idea what she was talking about. I just stared at her puzzled until she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"You got dirt on my brand new Caprini boots!"

Whoops, I didn't realize I was going berserk with my shovel.

"Oh. Sorry, Rhonda. I guess I spaced out a bit." That's right. I was thinking about Arnold. I was thinking about that kiss. . . I was thinking about how that kiss would never—I couldn't bring myself to finish that thought. I couldn't believe that we would never. . . kiss again.

"Heads up!"

It hit me that time. The dirt. Realization. Everything. We wouldn't ever kiss again, would we?

My head felt heavier. Everything felt heavier. I heard Arnold's panicked voice as he yelled my name over and over again. I felt someone shaking me, but that couldn't stop the weight. We wouldn't ever kiss again, would we? I couldn't bear to think the answer. Never before have I been so afraid of a single, insignificant word. No. We wouldn't.

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><p>KiKiLoVedOnO here :D<p>

Read below if you're interested about the debate of what year Hey Arnold the show takes place in (take note that I spent quite a bit of time researching, but no pressure :D). Otherwise thanks for reading Chapter 2, Chapter 3 is on its way soon, and as always reviews and critiques are greatly appreciated :D

Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. Most of the reason was because of research (some of the reason was because it was my birthday). When I realized I would have to pick a year that the time capsule was buried, I also realized it was time to decide once and for all what year Hey Arnold the show takes place in. Most blogs, websites, chat rooms, etc. said definitively that Hey Arnold took place in 1986 because of the episode titled "Sally's Comet," but I wasn't convinced. People said Sally's comet is a reference to Halley's comet which passed in 1986. But drawing this comparison is wrong for several reasons:

1) In the episode, it is repeatedly stated that Sally's comet comes every 70 years, however, Halley's comet comes every 75-76 years.

2) There is no record on the net of any periodic comets with the name "Sally." This one just doesn't seem right. In various episodes, the characters mention real life books, bands, songs, and historical figures (some of them being the bands Run DMC and Guns 'n' Roses in "Dino Checks Out," the book "I the Jury" by Mickey Spillane seen in the episode "Dino Checks Out," in the episode "Olga Comes Home" Helga says "The catfish are jumping and the cotton is high" which are lyrics from the song titled "Summertime" by George Gershwin [I sang this song in chorus, so don't judge me for noticing], and finally in the episode "Veteran's Day" Grandpa talks about Hitler). So after calling these real things by their real names, why would the writers of the show decide to call Halley's comet by another name? That just doesn't seem right from a logical point of view. It makes more sense that they would make a fictional comet.

Also it is impossible for the story to have taken place before 1996 anyway. In the second episode titled "The Little Pink Book," Helga uses a flip phone. Flip phones—while General Telephone and Electronics held the patent on them since the 1970s—were not officially created until 1996 with the release of the StarTAC by Motorola.

My final piece of evidence for what year the show takes place in is in the episode "Dino Checks Out." While walking by the Circle Theatre, Arnold stops and looks at a poster that clearly reads "Dino Concert '97." That one basically speaks for itself.

So, to sum up this lengthy history lesson, I decided that Hey Arnold's fourth grade year was 1996-1997.

The conclusion you as readers should draw: I am way too serious about having all my facts straight. . . and I'm a dork for knowing the lyrics from a song written in 1935. (My little brother thought I was a nut today when I walked into his room singing "Blue Heaven"—which was recorded in 1927. My iPod play list really is VERY random :P)

I kind of wonder how old you all think I am, lol.


	3. Ch 3 Frozen in Time

Hey Arnold Fanfic

"Episode 101"

Chapter 3~~ Frozen in Time

It was the same dream I always had. I was there; he was there. Right about now he would ask "Helga, why'd you do it?" and I would always reply the same thing: "What are you supposed to do when the person you love is in trouble?"

That's just right. What _are_ you supposed to do? I thought I knew the answer so well. But still I wonder: would letting Arnold go have been easier than living knowing he didn't love me? I mean, he's my everything. Everything I've ever had, everything I've always wanted…and everything that I can't have. If I had never told him my feelings, then maybe one day, he would have grown to love me on his own. Maybe he would have fallen in love with me. Just maybe.

"Nurse Shelley, is she going to be all right?" Arnold's voice came through loud and clear. He sounded worried and concerned in that sweet way he always did when he really cared. It's funny: when Arnold asked if you were all right, he'd never wait for a response. His eyes would just burrow straight down into yours, and he'd decide for himself whether you were okay or not. He knew better than to trust me anyway. I mean, of course I would lie and say I was fine. I would push him away, and he'd smile at me as though he was in on my big secret. But of course he doesn't know I love him. There's no way.

I guess this time was different. He couldn't just ask me if I was all right; how could he? I don't even know if I'm all right. I don't even know where I am. I just feel warm. Really warm. And I guess I feel a little dizzy, too. The only thing I know definitively is that although everything seems black and empty right now, Arnold still manages to peek through the darkness and brighten my world.

All at once I felt something cold on my neck. Like a moist washcloth and…fingers? The fingers were winding around something. My hair? No, that'd be silly. Why would someone wind their fingers in my hair? Arnold wasn't the type to do something like that. Certainly not. Whatever he was pulling on was heavy, though. Really heavy, like some sort of pendant. But I don't have any pendants. The only thing I have around my neck is my locket with Arnold's picture tucked safely inside.

It took me nearly three seconds to realize I couldn't let Arnold see that locket. _Ever_.

I shot up like a rocket—which definitely was not a good idea. My vision went foggy for a few seconds, but a cold pair of hands caught me before I hit the floor.

"Take it easy, dear," it was just Nurse Shelley. "You're all right."

I'm all right, she says. Somehow that doesn't come as a comfort. Pushing me gently back into the plastic cushion of the exam table, she held me for a moment to make sure I was stable.

"Just lay there for a little bit, and you'll start to feel much better."

Taking her advice, I closed my eyes and reclined into the chair. There was a slight ringing in my ears from when I jumped up that still had me a bit disoriented, but for the most part I was feeling better.

"Here you go, sweet." I opened my eyes to see her with a fresh rag in her hands. As she placed it on my forehead, little beads of water trickled down the bridge of my nose, splashing onto my cheeks below.

"I'm sorry. I guess it's still a bit wet." She went to wring it out, but I stopped her.

"No, it's fine. The water feels nice." I wasn't trying to be overly polite; the water really did feel good on my flushed cheeks. She smiled and laid it over my eyes this time.

"That's a cute necklace you have there."

"Necklace?" I asked.

"The locket. I noticed it tucked away under your dress and I thought…"

She kept talking but I didn't hear a word. In fact, I had completely forgotten about my locket up until now. Peeking from under my rag, I spotted it and in a heartbeat threw it under my collar. I knew I'd pay for moving so quickly, but the longer that locket saw the light of day, the more uneasy I felt. The thought of Arnold possibly having already seen it didn't even cross my mind. Of course he hadn't seen it, right?

Wrong.

When Arnold walked in, the look he had on his face—well how can I describe such a thing? Panic, shock, I'm sure there was a trace of terror somewhere in there. As if that wasn't bad enough, Nurse Shelley decided to excuse herself when she heard Eugene fell into a hole and injured himself. And so we were left all alone in this little room with the white divider curtain and little square windows.

"Here Helga," he said as he handed me a glass of water and some tapioca pudding. "I got this for you. Nurse Shelley said you should get something in your stomach."

"Thanks, Arnold."

"Mmm," is all he said before getting a far-off look in his eyes. This is bad. How do I explain to him that I've had a picture of him around my neck for six years? How can I even bring something like that up? Well, if he's not talking about it, and I'm not talking about it, does that mean we're just going to pretend this never happened, too?

I glanced over at him, but he wasn't even there anymore. Lost somewhere in thought, his eyes traced the outlines of clouds floating by outside those little windows. I followed his glance and settled on a grey plane so far in the distance it looked like a tiny speck compared to the rest of the sky. I ate my pudding and wondered. Who's in that airplane? Where are they going?

"You know it's funny," Arnold said so suddenly he caught me off guard. "How you think you can know everything about someone or something and then something happens…" he trailed off and looked up at me.

My heart started pounding in my chest. I wasn't sure if he had seen my locket before, but I definitely knew now. But why did he want me to say it? I'm not ready for this; I never asked for him to find out about this. This…I can't even say the words in my head! He…saw…my…locket. He saw it. Oh my god, he saw it.

"Well," I tried to say, but the word escaped as empty air and no sound. I struggled to calm my racing heart, but the deep breaths weren't helping—the air would whoosh out of my lungs as quickly as it came in.

"Helga, Helga! Are you all right? What's wrong?" He grabbed my hand, which under any other circumstances would have thrilled me, but not today. The way I see it I have two choices: get away from him or die. I chose the first option and got away from him in the best way I knew how.

"Nothing's wrong, football head! Now let go of me!" I yanked my hand out of his with a bit more force than I intended and fell backwards—right onto the floor.

"Helga!"

When I went to get up he was already on top of me. He grabbed my shoulders and, pinning me to the ground, stared right into my eyes. "Helga, tell me what's wrong. Do you want me to get Nurse Shelley?"

I just stared back at him, dumb-founded. He was holding me, staring into my eyes, and speaking so gently to me—I couldn't help but crumble in his arms. Despite my best efforts not to, the only thing I could think about was the tiny insignificant distance that kept our lips apart. If I could just reach up and brush my hand along his cheeks, if I could just rest my fingers on his gently parted lips and feel the warm breath coming from them. But no, what was I thinking?

I began to shake my head back-and-forth, which, judging by Arnold's response, I guess he took for a long-delayed response.

"Are you sure? She's just outside. I mean, I could run and get her, and it would be no problem."

"No, it's fine, Arnold." I said delicately. Sometimes he was just too good to be true. I mean, he's left all alone in this room with a nutcase, and the only thing he cares about is my well-being. I suppose the least I could do is be honest with him.

"Arnold, about that picture…" I tried to begin with no success.

"Yeah, I was trying to talk to you about that earlier." He let go of my shoulders and reached out a hand to help me off the floor. I expected him to let go immediately after I was up, but he didn't.

"Helga," he said abruptly and turned to look me dead in the eye.

"Yes, Arnold," I tried to say, but it came out as more of a whisper.

"Have I ever told you about my parents?"

"Ehh? Umm…no, I don't think so…I mean, you've never told me directly, but I've heard of them."

"They left you know? When I was really young, they left one day promising to 'come back soon.' But they never came back." His voice trailed off as he looked down at our hands. "I don't even remember what they look like—I have a picture, but I don't _remember_ anything about them. My own parents." I felt his hand trembling and gave a little squeeze.

"But how could you remember? You were so small when they left. And it's not like it's your fault you can't remember them. They're the ones who never came back."

"But it's not their fault they never came back! I can't believe they would leave me. That they would leave behind everything they ever knew and loved without a single trace of remorse."

I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer as he muttered "they loved me" over and over under his breath, though I'm not sure anymore which one of us he was trying to convince.

"Well it's good to see you are feeling much better, Helga," Nurse Shelley chuckled as I yanked my arm from around Arnold's shoulders. I swear it was my worst nightmare parading into the clinic: in Nurse Shelley's arms was an injured Eugene, followed by Stinky, Sid, and of course Harold, otherwise known as pig boy.

"Oooo! Arnold and Helga sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" Harold started laughing in that loud, obnoxious way he always did.

"You are so dead," I said menacingly under my breath. As I got up to beat him half to death, Arnold laced his fingers through mine and pulled me back down onto the bench.

"Don't, please," he said so quietly only I could hear him. The tremble in his voice made it clear he was on the verge of breaking down. I looked him square in the eye, but it was that same far-off look he had before—like he was empty.

I don't know why I did it, but I stood up and pulled Arnold out of the clinic. Harold started making smacking noises with his lips as we passed him, something I swore I'd make him pay for later. Right now, though, the only thing that mattered was Arnold.

Halfway down the hallway, I stopped, winged around, and looked him dead in the eyes. Clapping both my hands on his shoulders I gave it to him straight. "Look Arnold, forget about the stupid picture. It shouldn't change who you are and what you think. It was a long time ago and it doesn't mean anything, okay?"

Arnold threw his arms around me taking me completely off guard. I looked down at his closed eyes and smiled. This was okay, I guess. I took a deep breath and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer.

"Wait a minute," Arnold said as he pulled away from me. Scrutinizing me with his eyes for a few seconds, he finally asked: "How did you even know about the picture?"

From his pocket, he produced a picture that had clearly been worn by years of age.

"It was my dad. He left it in the time capsule—" Arnold's voice trailed off as he continued to stare at me.

"How did I know about the picture, you say? That's a great question. You see, I overheard you guys opening the time capsule and looked outside is all."

"But we were on the other side of the school. How did you see us?"

"Oh, I meant I overheard some people talking about you opening the time capsule and I looked outside and saw them and they were talking about the picture, so I just assumed, you know, that you wanted to talk about it."

"Oh," he said, still clearly confused.

"Are you okay, Arnold?"

"I think so," he said as he looked up at me. "Thank you. For what you said earlier, I mean. I shouldn't let this picture affect me or change who I am. My parents will always be important to me, but I can't just live in the past anymore." He blushed a light pink and smiled up at me with his brilliant green eyes peaking from under his short, wispy eye lashes.

"Whatever bucko, don't go turning all mushy on me," I scowled.

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><p>KiKiLoVedOnO here :D<p>

I'm not even going to lie this time and say that Chapter 4 is going to be on its way anytime soon. I'm a bio major and don't have much spare time to write. Sorry to my fans (if I even have any) :D

Comments, critiques, questions, reviews, et cetera are always appreciated and welcomed with open arms :)


	4. Ch 4 Wind, Sand, and Stars

Hey Arnold Fanfic

"Episode 101"

Chapter 4~~ Wind, Sand and Stars

6/3/1967

Dear mom, dear dad,

This is my first wooden model airplane we ever built together. I hope I'll be flying all around the world in an airplane like this one, just like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry! I guess I'll just have to wait and see, but no matter what, I'll always love you both.

~Miles~

As Arnold finished reading the note on the back of the photograph, Mr. Simmons wiped his eyes.

"Thank you, Arnold, for sharing that very special moment with all of us. I think we can all learn how wonderful and special a time capsule can truly be. It connects us not only to the past, but also to people we might not be able to see anymore." Mr. Simmons placed his hand on Arnold's shoulder and paused for a moment. "That's why I've decided that we're going to bury our very own time capsule this Monday."

"By golly, a time capsule!" Sid exclaimed.

"I reckon I'ma bury ma favorite lemon puddin' on account a lemon puddin' is ma favorite kinda puddin'," said Stinky as he rubbed his belly.

"Then I'm going to bury a Mr. Fudgy!" laughed Harold.

"No Mr. Fudgies, Harold. And while lemon pudding is your favorite, Stinky, I think you should think about the things that are special to you deep down," said Mr. Simmons.

Well that's what he said out loud, but we all know he was thinking they were both buffoons.

As Pheebs and I walked home afterwards, she seemed excited about the whole ordeal.

"Ooo, I'm just so excited! Maybe I should bury my lucky test pencil, or maybe my favorite yellow hair scrunchy. What about you, Helga? Any ideas of what you're going to put in the time capsule?"

I wasn't really paying any attention to her. To be honest, I was still fixed on Arnold and the way he looked today. I hope he's okay. I mean, to get a picture from your long, lost father must really be hard.

"You know what, Pheebs; I just remembered I promised I'd go meet Big Bob after school at the beeper store."

"Well okay, Helga. I guess I'll see you later."

"Sure Pheebs. See you."

I knew it was a lie, but there was something I had to do. As I rounded the corner, I spotted Arnold sitting on his stoop with a little brown book laying face down on his lap. He was staring up at the sky again, oblivious to my prying eyes. I ducked around the side of the Sunset Arms fire escape as Gerald approached Arnold from the other side of the street.

"Hey man. How you holding up?"

"I'm okay. I mean, there's not much I can do." Arnold sighed and opened the book back to the page he had saved.

"What's that book?"

"My dad's journal. He wrote about my mom, a lot. And then when I was born," Arnold smiled, "he wrote about me."

Gerald placed his hand on Arnold's shoulder. "Look man, I'm here for you when you need me, if you need me."

I risked a peek from my hiding spot just as Arnold looked up. I caught a glimpse of what I think was a shocked look in his eyes as I dove back around the corner. Stupid, stupid! He totally saw me.

Arnold started chuckling, "Thanks, Gerald."

"Did I miss something, buddy?" Gerald asked confused.

"It's nothing. Hey listen, I think Grandma wanted me to help her cook dinner tonight."

"Say no more, Arnold. We still on for Dino Land tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

I held my breath and waited for Gerald to walk by, praying he wouldn't see me crouched against the side of the building.

"Helga, what are you doing?"

"Arnold?" I whipped around to see Arnold leaning out of his kitchen window. His elbows were resting against the edge of the sill; his soft hands cradling his face. He murmured it in my ear once more, "Helga…don't you want to answer me?"

I jumped as far away from him as I could in a single bound, facing away from him as I shrank down on my knees. Oh dear god! My…heart…is…trying…to…escape! Everything started to spin as my pulse got faster and faster. Slow down, please slow down! I think I could just die right here and everything would be okay. No, Helga. Get a hold of yourself! Arnold needs you!

"Uhh, Helga?"

I was happily having a mental breakdown when I remembered that I _was_ the one sneaking around Arnold's building spying on him. You think he would understand that I was worried about him and just let things be. I took a deep breath and turned around.

"Arno—," I began to say, but when I looked, he was no longer in the window. I sighed and walked over to the sill, resting my hand where Arnold's elbows were a moment ago. "Arnold, what's going on in your head right now?"

"Helga…"

His voice broke on the last syllable. I turned around slowly. He was standing on the sidewalk a few feet from where I was.

"Arnold—" I gasped as tears began to roll down his cheeks. He took a step forward and I moved without thinking. Throwing my arms around his neck, I pressed his face into my chest. He cried quietly as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Helga," he whispered, turning his head to the side. "Why do I feel so alone?" He squeezed his arms tight around my waist. I placed my hand on top of his head and rubbed gently using my thumb.

"You're never alone as long as I'm here, Arnold."

His grip loosened a bit, but he didn't let go, and I didn't say a thing. He slid his hands loose just enough to be able to look at me. His eyes were red, along with his cheeks, and he continued to sob, though his tears had stopped.

"What is it?" I asked gently. His expression warmed as he slowly began to smile.

"Nothing." With that he hugged me once again, and I couldn't help but smile.

"By the way, Helga," he said in a playful voice as he placed his hand just beneath my collar bone. "That locket of yours is pretty cute."

"Eh?" was the sound that slipped out of my mouth. I grabbed Arnold by the shoulders and held him away from me. Staring directly in his eyes, I said again, "EHH?"

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><p>KiKiLoVedOnO here :)<p>

As always, no promises that Chapter 5 will be coming soon, but comments, reviews, critiques, questions, yaa-daa, yaa-daa are always welcomed :D

And a big thank you to everyone who continues to read my story. It really does mean a lot to me! On that note, I think this update may just get me to 1000 hits! I'll finally be in the quadruple digits! =D

This chapter's history lesson:

So, I thought I would use a real aviator who went missing as a person that Miles Shortman, Arnold's father, would look up to as a child. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a French writer and aviator who experienced events in his life—such as crashing into the Sahara Desert and nearly dying, but being saved by a local man on a camel—that are similar to the events Miles Shortman will experience later in his life (but that's all you're getting for spoilers; just call me River totally a Doctor Who reference). The title of this chapter, _Wind, Sand and Stars_, is actually the title of a book written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry that I fell in love with. I have not read the book, but if you guys are interested, there's a wikipedia page on both Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and his book that you can read.


	5. Ch 5 Wind, Sand, and Stars part 2

Hey Arnold Fanfic

"Episode 101"

Chapter 5~~ Wind, Sand and Stars part 2

"Helga, calm down!" Arnold said quickly as he grabbed my shoulders and started to shake me.

"You…saw…my…locket…" I managed to say, though my face showed no expression and my voice no inflection.

"Yes, Helga, I saw it."

"That wasn't a question, football head!" I noticed his face was dangerously close to mine, so I pulled his hands off my shoulders while pushing him away.

Concerned he asked, "Helga, why are you upset?"

"Why? Maybe because I've been carrying that stupid locket around for years. Maybe because the boy I loves picture is in it. Maybe because I've been keeping this forbidden secret and agonizing for so long."

"You make it sound like you're suffering."

"I am!" I yelled.

Arnold looked down at the sidewalk and took a few steps back. I reached out my hand, hoping in some way that it would be enough to stop him.

"Arnold," I said, my voice breaking over both syllables. He took off around the corner towards his front door.

"Arnold!" I screamed, running after him. The door slammed as I reached the bottom step of his stoop. "Arnold!" I started pounding on his door. "Arnold, it's not your fault! Please, don't think it's your fault." I leaned my head against the door. "Please, Arnold," I whispered.

I rubbed at my eyes and looked up at the sky, but I couldn't stop the tears. "I'm sorry, Arnold. I'm sorry I ever loved you." I ran down his steps and noticed Gerald standing across the street. He started walking away, but I didn't even care if he'd heard everything. That day I ran all the way home. 

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><p>KiKiLoVedOnO here :)<p>

Man, Arnold is such a little miscreant! He took my story in a completely different direction than what I had planned. Sometimes my characters take on a life all their own and cause me nothing but trouble. I've got to say though, I'm loving what's going on in his head :D

And I know this chapter is really short, but it just seemed like a logical place to stop :)

Comments, critiques, reviews, questions, and anything else, appropriate or not, is appreciated! I write to please y'all, so let me know what you like and don't like :D

And don't worry. I know where I want to go; I just don't know exactly how I'm going to get there. I'm constantly at war with the characters and my brain. That being said, I don't take suggestions as to what to include in future chapters, but if you write a spin-off with your idea, I would be so happy if you send me a link to your story via private message or attach a review to my story with the title of your story so people can find it through my story. Part of being a writer is inspiring people with your words, and I would be honored if I inspired a story! And thanks if you actually read this far down :)

Peace out and until next time :D

Also a group of boys in south Australia are in a group called gametoaid and raise money for charity by doing gaming marathons that last for a couple days. They just completed a legend of Zelda marathon today (7/1/2012) after playing for 86 hours! It was amazing, and they raised 10,750.00 dollars! Search them if you're interested. Their next marathon is probably going to be in December, but one of the boys is playing through Zelda II this week as a reward for getting to 10,000 dollars. Not to mention one of the boys beat Ganondorf BLINDFOLDED. Epic? Oh yeah! Psycho gamer chick out :)


	6. Ch 6 Saturdays

Hey Arnold Fanfic

"Episode 101"

Chapter 6~~ Saturdays

"Helga, honey, are you okay?" mom cracked my door open wide enough to poke her head in.

"The girl's fine, Miriam. Honestly, why do you bother with her? Isn't that right, Olga?" That's Bob for you, always the king of subtlety when it comes to how disappointed he is in me and how much more he loves Olga.

"He's right; I'm fine, mom," I said, not even caring to correct Bob for once.

"Well let us know if you need anything."

"Okay." I rolled over and waited to hear the door close behind them. However, my mattress sunk in, and I peered over my right shoulder to see Miriam bending over me. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a sitting position.

"You looked like you needed a hug, honey," and for the first time in my life, I cried in front of my mom. I don't know when exactly I fell asleep, but when I woke up, Miriam was cuddled up next to me.

"You're so hopeless, mom," I said, smiling, as I took her glasses off and set them next to my clock on the nightstand.

"Eleven o'clock, huh?" I said quietly to myself. The phone began to ring, and I dove onto the floor to grab the receiver before it rang a second time. I glanced over at Miriam, but she just took in a deep breath and didn't move. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

"Phoebe, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Jeez, Phoebe, what's with the call so early?"

"I just got off the phone with Gerald, and he—"

"Wait, Gerald?! What did he want?"

"He said that he and Arnold were going to Dino Land. He invited me and insisted that I invite you, too."

"Oh."

"So are you free this afternoon? We were planning on going around twelve."

"Does Arnold know, about Gerald inviting us, I mean?"

"No, Gerald wanted to keep it a secret from Arnold for some reason."

"You know Phoebe, I don't think I'm going to be able to make it."

"Are you sure? It's going to be—"

I hung up the phone without answering her. I'm sorry, Phoebe, but there's something more important I have to do today. I grabbed a pair of jeans and the only t-shirt I could find and headed to the bathroom down the hall. I lightly closed the door and locked it, not wanting to wake Miriam or the beast.

"Okay Helga, you can do this." I thought, giving myself a little encouragement. Slowly I reached up and untied the pink bow in my hair. Holding the fabric in my hands, I stared at it for the longest time. The only reason I've worn this bow and dress all these years is because of what Arnold said that first time we met in preschool: I like your bow because it's pink like your pants.

He was the first person to pay any attention to me, and I fell in love with his kindness. But how did I repay him? I hurt him repeatedly, always teasing him and saying nasty things to him. Thinking about it now, the only reason I started acting like a bully at all was because Harold made fun of me for liking Arnold. If he had never done that, would I be nicer? Who even am I? I looked in the mirror for the first time and really tried to see _me_. But the more I stared, the more aggravated I got. What's wrong with me? The only thing I see is an ugly, mean person. I breathed out a sigh.

"You did this to yourself, old girl. No one ever said that this life would be easy." I held the pink bow up and stared at it through the mirror.

"I guess this is it then…" I set the bow down and began to pull at the hair ties holding my pigtails up. First one fell and then the other. My hair retained a bump, however, and I looked more like a monster than anything else; I couldn't help but laugh at how well the image fit my personality. Rummaging through the drawers beneath the sink, I searched for a brush and, upon finding one, pulled it slowly through my hair until it was nearly straight.

"There." I set down the brush and looked in the mirror. "Well, I guess this is fine for now. Next to go is this horrible dress." I unfastened the zipper and slipped it over my head. Grabbing my jeans, I hopped up and down till they slid over my hips. Finally, I put my arms through the t-shirt and pulled it over my head.

"How fitting," I said sarcastically as the faded butterfly applique sprayed glitter onto the floor. I had read somewhere that butterflies symbolized new beginnings or good luck or some nonsense like that. I chuckled quietly, but the smile faded quickly as I stared myself in the eyes. There was one last thing I had yet to do, and it was quite possibly the most difficult thing. I pulled my locket over my head and twirled the chain between my thumb and pointer finger, watching the heart pendant swing round and round, first in one direction and then the other. I caught it in my left hand, held it still, and looked at the all-to-familiar photograph.

"Well Arnold…I guess this is goodbye." And for one last time, I pressed the locket to my heart, closed my eyes as tight as I could, and wished with all my might that my feelings would reach him. My eyes grew blurry as I unfastened the clasp and pulled the picture from between the glass plate and the metal pocket. I looked at it until I could no longer bear the sinking feeling. For the last time, I read the locket's inscription: "Arnold my soul, you are always in my heart. Love, Helga G. Pataki…" my voice trailed off and I felt like I could no longer breathe. I wiped my eyes and glimpsed at the picture. "I'm so sorry, Arnold." I squeezed my eyes shut as I ripped the photo in half and dropped it into the waste basket.

I threw my bow and dress on top of the photo, grabbed my locket, and sprinted out of the bathroom. I went straight to my room, tossed my locket into a pile of miscellaneous clothes, and dashed down the stairs and out the front door.

I'm not sure how long I was running for, but by the time I came to my senses, I was already passing the park towards the edge of the city. Deciding it'd be best to clear my head I followed the path down to the lake, stopping at my old spot along the rocky coast to sit down.

"I can't remember the last time I was here, but it sure is beautiful," I remarked quietly to myself. The sun was directly overhead, but it wasn't hot at all. The light reflected off the water and gave it a nice blue glow. Even the trees seemed greener. Is it possible the world was always this beautiful and I never noticed? Maybe I was so fixated on only seeing one person that it acted like blinders to everything that wasn't him.

I picked up a small, flat stone and flung it out across the water. It jumped twice before plunking into the water. I let out a sigh and flopped backwards.

"Even the clouds seem whiter and fluffier," I said to myself. I put my hands behind my head and closed my eyes. I guess this isn't so bad. Life without Arnold suddenly doesn't sound so scary when it's me giving up on him for the sake of his happiness. I just hope that Arnold can be happy now that I'll be out of his life...

"There you are, Helga!" Phoebe said out of breath as she jogged up to me. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

I opened my eyes in amazement as the sun was setting beyond the horizon.

"Wow, I guess I fell asleep." I laughed awkwardly as I stretched out my arms and sat up. "Wait, did you just say _we_?"

"Yeah, you sounded weird on the phone so we headed to your house instead of Dino Land, but you were already gone when we got there. We've been looking for you for hours."

"By _we_, you mean…"

"Gerald and Arnold, of course."

"Oh…"

"Come on, I told them we'd meet at the park entrance at six. We're a few minutes early, but that should be fine." Phoebe grabbed my wrist and pulled me to my feet, but I didn't move an inch.

"I can't see Arnold, Phoebe."

"What do you mean…" She turned to look at me, and I don't know what she saw in my face, but she shook her head understandingly. "Okay, Helga, but we need to at least let them know that I found you. Since we're early, we can leave them a note before they get there."

"Okay."

Phoebe held onto my wrist for a few more seconds while staring into my eyes before letting me go. I don't know whether she thought I was going to collapse or dart, but I guess she trusted me to follow her when she started walking away without a word.

"Phoebe…"

"Why are you calling me that, Helga? It's me, Pheebs, you're best friend. I've always been Pheebs." She turned around and faced me head on. "You're dressed differently, and you disappear without a word— this isn't like you, Helga!"

"Well maybe I don't want to be like me anymore," I said quietly while looking away from her towards the ground.

"Helga," she said with hurt in her voice. "What happened to you?"

I didn't know how to answer her. I just started walking in the direction of the park gates. I heard footsteps alongside me, but I kept my gaze on the sidewalk. She suddenly started rummaging through her sweater pockets and produced a notepad and pen. I looked up as she finished writing.

"Is that for Gerald and Arnold?" I asked.

"Yeah," she replied with no emotion in her voice.

"Look Phoebe, I'm sorry, okay? I can't keep being that Helga. I'm not a bully. I don't know who I am anymore or who you thought I was, but that person isn't me."

"I know who you are, Helga. I've known all along. You're a smart, caring person whose only concern in the world is everyone else's happiness. You care about me and Arnold and we care about you so much. We're all really worried about you."

Phoebe bent down and set her notepad on the ground between us. I looked up and noticed the gate above us that read 'City Park.'

"Come on, Helga."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't think I'm going to let you go now that I've finally found you, do you? You're sleeping at my place tonight."

She grabbed my wrist again, but I put my arm through hers. "Jeez Pheebs, you don't have to drag me." I smiled at her, and she grinned wide.

"This is the Helga I like." She squeezed my arm. "Come on! We'll stop by your place and let your parents know."

And just like that, the first and only fight I ever had with Phoebe was cleared up in a matter of minutes.

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><p>KiKiLoVedOnO here :)<p>

OMG! My last update got my word count up to 6,969 words exactly, which I must be twelve mentally 'cause I started laughing like crazy when I saw that.

Anywho, comments, critiques, reviews, questions, yaa-daa, yaa-daa are appreciated and welcomed, as always :D

Guess I don't really have anything cool to put down here this chapter, though I doubt many of you read this far anyway. Let me know if you do, though, and I'll make sure to stick some interesting stuff down here for the people who care :)

…

Haha, forgot I wrote this chapter and didn't post it :/

ANYWAY, I do have something fun this chapter :D

Did you know? The word "applique" (which isn't auto-corrected in English correctly, by the way) is derived from the French verb appliquer which literally means to apply? Yay for glittery butterfly appliques :)


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